Electric lamp switch construction



Feb. 9, 1954 H, MOR|N 2,668,905 vELECTRIC LAMP SWITCH CONSTRUCTION Filed June 12, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 5l INVENTOR LOUIS H. MORIN ATTORN Feb. 9, 1954 l.. H. MORIN ELECTRIC LAMP SWITCH CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 12, 1952 IIIIIIIIII..

INVENTOR LOUIS H. MORIN BY M ORNE Patented Feb. 9, 1954 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC LAMP SWITCH CONSTRUCTION Louis H. Morin, Bronx, N. Y.

Application June 12, 1952, Serial No. 293,052`

1 claim. 1

This invention relates to electric lamps employing a base, a column andan upper bulb and shade supporting Iixture. More particularly, the invention deals with a method or" actuating the switch controlling the bulb of the lamp so that rotation of the lamp post will cause the switch 'to be moved into its several positions controlling the filament or" the lamp, particularly when such lamp employs two or more filaments to control the light or watt capacity of the lamp when in operation.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed and, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views and, in which:

Fig. l is a sectional view through the base portion of a lamp made according to my invention, illustrating one adaptation of switch actuating mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow 2 of Fig. l, showing only part of the construction.

Fig. 3 is a View similar to 1 showing only part of the construction and showing a modification.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of part of the struc ture as shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. l.

Fig. 6 is a diagramnflatic View of one forni of wiring which can be employed.

'7 is a view, similar to Fig. 1, showing another form of construction and indicating part of the upper structure of the lamp, with parts being broken away; and

Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective View of part of the construction shown in 7.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing, I have shown at lil the base of a lamp, at the upper portion of which is a collar or sleeve li, in which is supported a bearing sleeve l2, the latter being braced on the base Hl on a web portion i3 oi the base by a collar Ul and nut IE5. Rotatably mounted in the bearing i2 is a tube it having annular flange l?, the ilange l? having a key it which operates in a transverse slot I9 in the upper end ci the bearing l2 to control and limit rotation of the tube it. Note, in this connection, Fig. 5 of the drawing.

Coupled with the upper of the tube ES is an extension tube it which extends to the top of the lamp and to which the usual bulb natures are attached, as are well-known in this art, the wires to the bulb passing through the tubes I6,

i8 and extending to a control switch 20 supported in the base I0 on a bracket 2|.

Secured to the sleeve IS is a column, the lower enlarged portion of which is shown in part at 22, in Fig. l of the drawing. The column is usually in the form of a tube of the type and kind indicated, for example in Fig. 7 of the drawing. This column is rotated to rotate the tubes I6, IE in operating the switch actuating mechanism, generally identified by the reference character 23. This mechanism, which is shown in Figs. l and 2 of the drawing, comprises a lever 2d fixed to the lower protruding end 25 of the tube 16.

Pivoted to the free end of the lever 24 is a link 26 which, in turn, is pivoted to a pawl supporting plate 2l', the latter being rotatable about a screw 23 to which a toothed wheel 29 is secured. The bolt 29 constitutes the axis of rotation of the switch element of the switch 2li, which element is illustrated diagrammatically at 30 in 6 of the drawing. The element til has three contacts'l, 32 and 33 and one insulated section 34 and these contacts and section 3d operate upon spring contacts diagrammatically shown at 3'5, 36 and 31 in controlling the bulb circuit, the bulb being diagrammatically outlined at 3c in Fig. S and includes a 50 watt filament Si? and a L00 Watt filament llo.

Considering the position of the switch element 3o shown in Fig. 6, the switch is now in position for producing a 150 watt control of the lamp bulb. By rotating the element in a clockwise direction, the next position would be the oir position; whereas, another one-quarter turn of the element ignites the 50 watt element; another onequarter turn would ignite the watt element and then returning to the position shown in Fig. 6, the additional one-quarter turn would ignite both nlaments, producing the wattage.

It will be understood that, in describing other modified showings later, the same would be applied to the bulb structure, as shown in Fig. 6 or a control can be had for any type of bulb arrangement that is employed in the lamp, the switch being wired t0 suit the bulb arrangement employed.

Returning nowl to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be apparent from a consideration of Fig. 2 that a pawl 4l is pivoted to the plate 21 and a spring 42 coupled with the pawl and with the plate to constantly urge the pawl in the direction of the tooth wheel 29. In each rotation of the column of the lamp, the paw] will advance the switch one-quarter turn and, by reversing rotation of the column, the pawl will be returned to the position engaging the next successive tooth, preparatory to advancing the switch another one-quarter revolution.

In Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawing, I have shown a slight modification of the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2, wherein part of the base is shown at 43 and, here, the base includes a large bear ing portion 44, in which a tube 45, generally similar to the tubes i6, i6', is employed, and to the lower protruding end of the tube 45 is clamped a lever 46. Swinging movement of the lever 46 is controlled by two stops 41 on the bearing portion 44. The lever 46 is pivoted to a pawl supporting plate 49, on which two pawls 56, 50 are pivoted, the pawls being joined by a common spring 5| to constantly urge the pawls in the direction of pins 52 on a switch operating segment 53. The switch is shown at 54 and is supported on a suitable bracket 55 xed to the base 43. I-Iere again, it will be apparent that, in each rotation of the lever 46 in both directions, the switch 54 will be actuated a quarter turn. The plate 49 has an elongated aperture 56 to slide along the axial portion 51 of the switch so that, on one rotary action of lever 46, for example, in the direction of the arrow 58 of Fig. 4, the lower pawl 56 will engage a pin 52 and rotate the switch one-quarter turn, whereupon the other or upper pawl is brought into engagement with a pin, assuming the position of pin 52' of Fig. 4 and, on rotating the lever 46 in the direction of the arrow 59, the switch will be rotated another quarter turn in the same direction and in a downward movement of the plate 49, as will be apparent.

In Figs. '1 and 8 of the drawing, I have shown another adaptation of my invention, which modifies the structure shown in Figs.' 1 and 2 simply in providing a different stop control and in applying tension to the switch operating lever, so that the lever is automatically returned to starting position, preparatory to actuating the switch. In other words, switch operation is under the tension of the spring mechanism which is employed.

In Fig. 7, 66 represents part of a base, generally similar to the base l0. 6I represents a sleeve or collar, generally similar to the collar Il and modified to the extent that a fixture portion 62 is supported on the upper end thereof and the sleeve 6| at the lower portion of the xture 62 is slotted, as seen at 63, to receive one end of a coil spring 64. The spring 64 is arranged around a tube 65, rotatable upon a xed tube 66.

The tube 66 is supported in a bearing portion 61 of the base 66 and held in position by a nut 68 and clamped to the tube 65 is :a downwardly offset lever 69 which is directly pivoted to a pawl supporting plate 21', similar to the plate 21.

It will be noted that the other end 10 of the spring 65 engages the lever 69 so that, in rotating the lever to actuate the plate 21, this operation takes place against the action of the spring 65, thus upon release of the rotation on the lever, the spring will return the lever and the plate 21' to the starting position. Suitably fixed to the upper end portion of the fixture 62 is a large diameter sleeve 1I which, in turn, supports the xture portion 12 of the lamp. The tube 66 is arranged in the xture portion 12 and extends to the bulb supporting socket of the lamp, as well-known in the art.

Rotatably mounted on the tube 1| between 62 and 12 is a column 13. This column has, at opposed walls, at the lower end thereof, notches 14, note Fig. 8, which register with elongated notches 15 in the xed tube 1| and the tube 65 has, at its upper end, an outwardly extending annular flange 16, the iange having outwardly projecting lugs 11 which operate in the notches 14 and 15, as will be apparent.

From a consideration of Fig. 8 of the drawing, it will be clear that, in rotating the column 13, the notches 14 will engage the lugs 11 to correspondingly rotate the tube and thus the lever 69 and, upon release of the column 13, the spring 64 will automatically return the lever to a starting position.

It will be understood that, with the switch operating mechanisms employed, lamps can be economically constructed with switch mechanisms of this type and kind, wherein operation of the bulb or bulbs of the lamp can be controlled through rotation of the column, either in a single direction, or by rotation of the column in both directions.

In this way, the inconvenience of actuation of lamps through the medium of pull chains or by rotation of or pushing of switch actuating buttons is obviated and control of the lamp can be conveniently performed at all times.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A switch operating mechanism for lamps of the character described, comprising a unitary open bottom base, said base forming the support for said lamp, a bearing centrally of said base, a column rotatably mounted in the bearing and having an end projecting into the base, a switch, means xed to the base for supporting the switch wholly within the base, a lever mounted on said projecting end of said column, a switch actuating member coupled with said switch, means coupled with said lever and in operative engagement with said switch operating member for intermittently rotating said member in rotation of said column to move the switch into different circuit controlling positions in controlling operation of a lamp bulb supported in said lamp, said last named means comprising a plate slidably mounted on said switch, said member including a plurality of circumferentially spaced projections, and a pair of pawls pivoted to said sliding plate and operatively engaging said projection in intermittently rotating said member.

LOUIS H. MORIN.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 693,275 Jones et al. Feb. 11, 1902 2,014,054 Rood et al. Sept. 10, 1935 2,408,669 Mattson Oct. 1, 1946 2,449,765 Brattain Sept. 21, 1948 2,632,098 Marchese Mar. 17, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 83,070 Switzerland June 14, 1919 

